That's What Friends Are For
by shad0w0w0lf
Summary: ...they watch your back. They watch over you... and freakily enough... they seem to watch your every move. But they mean well! Story contains (strong hints of) pairings. Mainly very very short chapters (drabble?). - discontinued until further notice, sorry... (busy busy life)
1. Endou

Uh, so... new fandom? New fanfic? Not much to say really, apart from the fact I'm British and tend to say football rather than soccer most of the time... although I may be inconsistent here...

Well, enjoy!

I do not own Inazuma Eleven.

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Endou

Endou strode out onto the football pitch with that stupid grin on his face. It was always on his face, no matter what. He liked practising on the pitch beside the river bank; it was a nice place to practise and it was full of memories.

"Let's play soccer!" he shouted.

There was no reply.

Endou scratched his head. He'd been expecting the rest of his teammates to come join him in practice. At least one person.

It was a day off school, and as far as he could remember, every day off was a day for practising. He sighed and tugged on his goalkeeper's gloves. Man, where was everyone? How was he supposed to practise his awesome hissatsu goalkeeping techniques if no-one was there to kick the ball to him?

With a shrug, Endou ran out to the centre of the pitch and began to dribble the ball aimlessly around. He might as well.

Suddenly, he stopped.

It was unusually quiet. Almost unnervingly so.

A shudder passed briefly through the fearless goalkeeper. He took a quick look around, but not a single soul was in sight.

Why, then, did he feel like he was being watched?


	2. Kazemaru

Well, here's chapter two.

And HachimitsuOukan can have a virtual cookie for guessing the next character right, hahaha! *gives you a cookie*

I do not own Inazuma Eleven etc.

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Kazemaru

Sometimes – just _sometimes_ – Kazemaru wished that he were a girl. It was an embarrassing thought, but as he watched Endou kick that ball around from his secret hiding place, that familiar feeling touched his heart again.

He found himself twiddling his thumbs and his face felt hot. He glanced away and sighed. He wasn't in the mood to play alongside Endou today. Fingering his aquamarine hair, he continued to watch Endou aimlessly kicking the ball around. But then, the captain of the team made a misjudgement and the ball went flying off course, landing close by Kazemaru's hiding place.

The hiding boy saw Endou coming towards him and he began flustering around for an excuse… this wasn't classified as stalking, right? I-it'll be fine…

Kazemaru picked up the football hesitantly and when he came face to face with Endou, he handed it over. The goalkeeper thanked his teammate, but didn't think to question why he was coincidentally there… Breathing a sigh of relief, Kazemaru suddenly caught himself remembering something.

Back when he'd joined the Dark Emperors, he'd claimed he'd wanted the power to become stronger, but now, he realised that wasn't the case. All that he wanted… he wanted attention… but he didn't know that meant wearing a hideous outfit.

He liked Endou. Kazemaru would admit that. But no matter what, he couldn't be a girl. And as he talked with the hot-blooded captain now, he smiled and settled for just playing football alongside him.


	3. Kazemaru II

Here's another chapter. You've probably already noticed, but the chapter title says whose point of view (kinda) the chapter will be in.

I do not own Inazuma Eleven...

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Kazemaru

Kazemaru gazed at Endou, trying his very hardest not to blush or fluster in front of the goalkeeper.

"So what'cha doing here, Kazemaru?" asked Endou finally.

This caught the boy in question by surprise. "U-uh… Y'know… days off are usually practice days, right?" He laughed nervously, "Even if most of the time it is just the… the two… of us…" his voice died away towards the end. If Endou had picked up on this, he didn't show any sign that he had. He simply grinned.

The blue-haired boy bit his lip. His heart was beating much more frantically than it usually did. He glanced away again. With a wavering voice, he began, "Say, E-Endou… have you got anything planned th-this weekend…?"

The other boy thought long and hard about that. Concentration creased his childish face. After a while, he replied, "Nope. Why?"

Again, Kazemaru blushed slightly and he hoped against hope that Endou didn't notice. He fumbled with his words, "Well… it's just that… I…"

He trailed off rather pathetically, leaving Endou waiting for an answer. The goalkeeper tried to guess. "You want to have an extra practice session? Oh, I see! You have a new hissatsu you wanna work on, right?" His face lit up instantly.

Unable to say anything else, the boy with the ponytail slowly nodded, "Yeah… something like that…"

He supposed that if he _did_ have a new technique, the first person he'd want to show would be Endou, that was for sure. But the thing was that Kazemaru was taking part in a national athletics competition at the weekend and he wanted to invite Endou along to watch. Naturally, the soccer-freak wouldn't really have been interested, but still…

As Endou continued to talk animatedly, Kazemaru just stood, listened and smiled. All the while, he couldn't help but think how much it would mean to him if Endou _did_ come to watch him run…

But he was too afraid to ask.


	4. Hiroto

Mehhhh... running out of things to say at the beginning of chapters...

But here you go. A super-short chapter. As in very very short.

I do not own Inazuma Eleven etc.

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Hiroto

Glaring at those two talking, Hiroto felt tears sting his eyes. It wasn't fair! That… that blue-haired _bitch_ was taking Endou. Hiroto sniffed; Endou belonged to _him_, not that attention-hungry, neither-guy-nor-girl _person_!

Watching from the bridge overlooking the football pitch, Hiroto grumbled. Of course, that _Kazemaru_ had only joined the Dark Emperors to get Endou's attention. Hiroto had figured that much out. He ran a hand through his red hair, pondering over how _he_ could get Endou's attention without having to dress up horrifically.

All of a sudden, he realised that Kazemaru was grinning at him, a triumphant look on his face. Overcome with rage and jealousy, Hiroto stuck his tongue out like a child. His love rival turned around with an unneeded _flourish_ of his ponytail and went back to talking to Endou.

Hiroto made his mind up. He wasn't going to lose to _that _person. In a huff, he began storming down to where those two stood, ready to give Kazemaru a piece of his mind.


	5. Midorikawa

Okay... he's the next mini chapter... I think this may be turning out to be a crazy story without a plot... I tend to add bits when I have a mindblock with other stuff... anyway...

I don't own Inazuma Eleven

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Midorikawa

"Hiroto! Wait up!"

But it was too late. The jealous boy had already taken off. Midorikawa sighed. Honestly. Hiroto disappeared out of sight and was nowhere to be found, even as Midorikawa searched high and low for him.

The green-haired boy placed his hands on his hips and closed his eyes as he thought of a famous quote to sum up his thoughts. Unusually, one didn't come to him, so he put a minor twist on another.

Taking a deep breath, he shouted, "Hiroto! Hiroto! Wherefore art thou, Hiroto?"

He shrugged. That was awfully long-winded and such a mouthful to say. Either way…

Midorikawa groaned again. Hiroto had promised to spend the day with him! They were going to watch some movie together about aliens and spaceships and all that science fiction nonsense. But now that Hiroto had run off like that, it might be hours before they watched that movie.

With a pout, Midorikawa realised that he had been really looking forward to today. To be perfectly honest, he himself had wanted to watch a live stage performance of _A Midsummer's Night Dream_ which was on in the theatres, but he knew that Hiroto would have much preferred the movie… and having given up his chance to watch the theatre production, Midorikawa was now stuck trying to find his angry friend.

Then, there was a tap on his shoulder: "Hey, you."


	6. Saginuma

Long time no upload... Haha, I think this is perhaps turning into something that I write when I have a writer's block - it's much easier and requires less thinking... And there are going to be a couple of characters who are here for the sake of introducing another character. This is one of them.

Okay, so here we go. Have a triple *coughspamcough* upload, especially since this one is uber short. This intro thing is probably longer than the actual chapter. Well, it will be if I don't shut up... okay.

I do not own Inazuma Eleven.

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Saginuma

Saginuma watched as the green-haired boy with the ponytail turned around. Midorikawa's eyes widened in surprise.

"Ah! D-Desarm… er, I mean… Saginuma! What are _you_ doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Reize."

Midorikawa frowned. "Stop calling me that. Man, I know acting is fun and all, but acting as a school-destroying alien is barely any fun. It takes so much effort!"

"And hair gel," Saginuma added, with a wry smile. Subconsciously, he fingered his black hair, as if checking for the substance he'd just named. Hair gel wasn't great. He carried on speaking, "Besides, Reize is a nice name. Somehow, I feel as if _Midorikawa_ is a pun on your hair colour. Blame fate for that."

The other boy shrugged. "Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like."

When there was no response from the taller male, Midorikawa casually added, "Once said Lemony Snicket."

Saginuma just nodded, still clueless at what the other was on about. He was always quoting things. Slightly irritating to be honest. He turned his head and saw a flash of red. "What's Gran doing here?"

"It's _Hiroto_!" Midorikawa said in an exasperated voice. "And don't you _dare_ make fun of Hiroto's alien name!"

Saginuma paid the little boy little attention. He muttered, "Touchy."

Suddenly, someone from behind screamed, "It's _you_!"


	7. Aphrodi

Okay, triple upload, second part~ I think I'm waffling on for a bit. The word count for these chapters are pathetic... Meh.

*insert disclaimer here*

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Aphrodi

The blond glared at that _disgusting_ person with the black hair and ugly nose. That person turned around with a, "Oh. It's you."

Aphrodi's eyes burned a furious red. Not like they weren't red to begin with. Saginuma felt that burning hatred as Aphrodi radiated a menacing aura. Midorikawa stayed silent, knowing what was best.

The blond with waist-length hair tucked a stray lock behind his ear. Those red eyes continued to glare with murderous intent.

"What do you want, Aphrodite?" teased Saginuma with a scoff, "Goddess of love and beauty. Suits you."

Aphrodi closed his eyes and gave a flick of his hair. "You stole _my_ hissatsu."

"Ugh. Not that again. Look, I can do that move just as well as _you_ can so –"

"Bitch, _please_!" butted in the blond with a wave of his hand and a click of his fingers. At this point, anyone would have mistaken him as a girl… but they usually did anyway. Aphrodi glowered at Saginuma again. "I can make that move look a _hell _of a lot better than _you_ can because, unlike _you_, I am the _epitome_ of a bishie. Plus you need hair like _this _–" he flicked his hair dramatically to demonstrate "– to make it look _decent_."

As Saginuma opened his mouth to continue arguing, Midorikawa slapped him on the back and shook his head, advising against it. You could never win an argument against _this_ blond. He was as good as any girl at quarrelling.

Realising he'd won the argument, Aphrodi gave a sneering smirk and those red eyes glimmered with a hint of triumph. He turned around with another flourish of his silky blond hair and left. He didn't get very far before…


	8. Burn and Gazel

Yay! Triple upload accomplished! And I think this is it for the introducing-random-characters-who-may-not-be-menti oned-again phase. Actually, that just included Saginuma. Everyone else will make a comeback some time with their friendship troubles~

I don't own Inazuma Eleven.

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Burn and Gazel

"Aphrodi!"

The blond was tackled by two other boys, who both hugged him desperately.

The first of the two boys had fiery-red hair and the other had cold, windswept blue-white hair. They both grinned like a pair of twins as they refused to let go of the blond.

"Nagumo! Suzuno! What are you two doing here?"

The boy with hair like fire waved his hand dismissively. "Just call us Burn and Gazel. It's much less of a mouthful, right, Gazel?"

The boy with blue-white hair nodded. "We saw you some time ago and followed you… it's been a long time since we last saw you so…"

"W-were you two stalking me?" murmured Aphrodi.

"No way! Of course not!" shouted Burn, his eyes flaring up in self-defence. Gazel simply sat there and stared coolly at the animated boy, waving his arms and explaining. Eventually, he got bored and stood up, peering over the edge of the bridge. He sighed as a breeze picked up.

Burn was always so happy when Aphrodi was around… _he even ends up ignoring me._ He laid his head on his arms, resting on the top of the bridge railing, the soft breeze combing through his hair. He let out another deep sigh and closed his eyes.

"What's up?" Midorikawa poked his head into Gazel's field of vision.

"…Nothing. Why are _you_ asking?" Gazel tended to be cold to people when he was in a foul mood… and he wasn't exactly very happy now.

Midorikawa shrugged, "That's what friends are for, right?"

"…What a lame answer."


End file.
